Have you ever wanted to experience what it is like to live a small town life? If so, Gilmore Girls is a television series that can make you feel like you are a part of the town even through a television or computer screen. The series first aired nearly eighteen years ago, yet its popularity still continues to grow. Gilmore Girls is a television show that has aired on The WB Television Network for nearly six years, until it began airing on The CW in 2006. Based in a small town in Connecticut, the series follows relationship between Lorelai Gilmore and her daughter, Rory. Their unique relationship is one of the many things that makes the story so interesting and fascinating to watch. Not only do they have a fun and loving relationship, but they also are each other’s best friend. Although fictional, a variety of audiences can relate to their personalities and what each character goes through.

Lorelai Gilmore is a mother in her thirties who got pregnant with Rory at just sixteen years old. Some aspects of Lorelai’s childhood are explained throughout the show, however we do not get to really see her young character. The beginning of the show takes place when Rory is a sixteen year old high school student, and Lorelai is a thirty-two year old manager of The Independence Inn. Lorelai’s funny and witty humor is something that many viewers love about not only her character, but the show as a whole. Rory is a very intelligent and focused student, however she also loves to have fun with her mother and friends. Though Lorelai and Rory are the definite main characters of the show, there are quite a few other characters that have a serious impact on their lives. Luke Danes is the local diner owner, and he acts almost like a father figure to Rory when her real father is not around. Luke will do anything for both Lorelai and Rory. He keeps his diner open late just for them, he helps them when they need work on their house, he helps Rory move into college, and so much more. Additionally, Sookie St. James is Lorelai’s best friend. She is an amazing chef which is why she has a job at the Independence Inn, also where Lorelai works. Their friendship can be related to by all people who have a close friend because their relationship is so realistic. The main characters are very important aspects of why viewers love watching Gilmore Girls as well as many other things.

Furthermore, part of the main appeal of the show is how connected the audience feels to the characters. Since the relationship between Lorelai and Rory is so close, it makes viewers feel like they know them just as well. Rather than being a super complex series, the creators made it easy to follow, and they developed the characters very well. Throughout my experience watching the show, I never had a moment where I had to ask myself, Who is that again? What’s his/her name? This is unlike many other shows that are made to be too complex with new and confusing character connections. One of the reasons why everyone seems so close is because of the small town feel that is present in each episode. As Luke stated in season two episode 5, “Nick & Nora/Sid & Nancy”, “This is Stars Hollow. You make three left turns and you’re back in the center of town” (Warner Bros. Television). Because Stars Hollow is so small, everybody there knows each other and they are all very close and friendly.

Another very likeable aspect of Gilmore Girls is that a vast majority of the cast is present throughout the entire series. In many other series, audiences complain about having their favorite characters leave or be replaced by another actor or actress. In Gilmore Girls, all main characters are present throughout the show, besides a few characters who continue to make appearances in later seasons rather than being a major part of the show. The cast of Gilmore Girls and their characters make many people want to watch the show.

To conclude, Gilmore Girls appeals to a variety of audiences. Though some aspects of it aren’t very child friendly, anyone else could watch and love the show. It can be for teenagers who can relate to Rory and her high school and college experience, or it could be for parents who can relate to the aspect of parenthood with many of the adult characters. With a rating of 8/10 on IMDb, Gilmore Girls is clearly an impactful show to teenagers and adults everywhere. Even though it began in 2001, it is still frequently watched today, seventeen years later on Netflix, Amazon, and few other sites. Gilmore Girls is a well rounded show containing developed characters and interesting storylines that gets many audiences hooked and connected to the characters.